Sophie Turner talks Sansa’s evolution in Season 4

Sophie Turner joined Maisie Williams at Christian Siriano’s Fall/Winter show for New York Fashion Week, and like her TV sister, gave us a peek at what’s in store for season 4.

“There’s a kind of big evolution [for Sansa],” Sophie told WetPaint. “She begins to kind of manipulate the people who have done wrong to her in her past. She becomes a powerhouse character but in a very subtle way. It’s really good.” She goes on to say, “I feel like I’ve been waiting for a moment where I can manipulate the people that have come before me, so it was like I had been waiting for it for so long. It was a release.”

In addition to Sansa’s development as a power player, Sophie teased there will be more “shocking stuff” and “more deaths, of course, because it’s Game of Thrones.”

I’d like to hope that the writers have remembered that Sansa is a major character in her own right and not a prop for Tyrion and the Tyrells (and Littlefinger), but Sophie promoted last season in very similar terms, so I’m not taking this statement as necessarily indicative of anything. Live in hope, I guess.

If Sansa is indeed manipulating people left and right in S4 I’ll take that as a sign that the “controversial” Sansa chapter from book 6 is even more crazy than I thought. Why would they make her act like that if Sansa will remain as kind as ever all throughout the books?

Talisa’s ghost,
I wouldn’t put too much weight on an actor promoting a season based mostly on ASOS for clues to TWOW, but I’m thinking similarly. Maybe the Stark kids will actually turn into the villains of the whole series, this theory seemed very weird to me at first, but I’m starting to entertain the idea.

I know that this doesn’t happen in the books this way but I think that Sanas should kill Lysa. I think that Sansa’s character in the show has been so emotionally strong, yet physically weak. Arya is 9 or 10 in the books and she kills tons of people. So picture this; Petyr kisses Sansa at the Eyrie. Lysa sees this and confronts her about it. there is a struggle at the moon door, just like in the books. Petyr enter and distracts Lysa and Sansa sees her chance to save her life by killing Lysa. Petyr, who actually likes Sansa more than Lysa, blames it on Marillion.

I think I would be really disappointed if they took that route. Sansa’s whole character arc is highlighted by how despite the horrible things done to her she can still maintain a great deal of kindness and humanity. Having her murder Lysa would ruin that.

Yeah, I agree. If forced to do it, Sansa would probably kill someone, but it would cost her a great deal to do it. She doesn’t have a typically violent nature. But she did think about killing Joffrey in AGoT, it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. But she was also heavily affected by Ned’s death and grieving, I can’t say she’d think the same way in her encounter with Lysa.

I don’t think that’s going to happen. It doesn’t fit Sansa’s personality at all, and apart from that, it is pretty essential that we see LF not only punish an employee who betrayed him, like Ros, but coldbloodedly murder a woman who may be crazy and annoying, but has only helped him and trusts him blindly. And Sansa needs to see that, too.

The writers probably know Sansa’s future beyond ADWD, so I guess her character development in season 4 could mirror/foreshadow her rise as an independent player of the Game of Thrones in TWOW and ADOS (remember the “controversial” chapter?). They just speed it up.

Marillion:I know that this doesn’t happen in the books this way but I think that Sanas should kill Lysa. I think that Sansa’s character in the show has been so emotionally strong, yet physically weak.Arya is 9 or 10 in the books and she kills tons of people. So picture this; Petyr kisses Sansa at the Eyrie. Lysa sees this and confronts her about it. there is a struggle at the moon door, just like in the books. Petyr enter and distracts Lysa and Sansa sees her chance to save her life by killing Lysa. Petyr, who actually likes Sansa more than Lysa, blames it on Marillion.

What do you think? Remotely possible?

Hey-nonny,hey-nonny,hey-nonny-hey.

One question: Do you “manipulate” somebody by pushing him/her out of the Moon door?

Talisa’s ghost:
If Sansa is indeed manipulating people left and right in S4 I’ll take that as a sign that the “controversial” Sansa chapter from book 6 is even more crazy than I thought. Why would they make her act like that if Sansa will remain as kind as ever all thr

The guy at Westeros.org already backed away from the idea of it being that controversial, saying that “some” “might” find it controversial. The people expecting her to murder Robin or whatever always overlook that.

Silverstormm:
When does everyone think Jon Connington will show up? S5 or 6?

I think Griff will definitely be cast for S5. ;)

Personally, I think the showrunners will make a very big deal of the reveal that Griff/JonCon is working with Varys to bring back Aegon/fAegon to stage the next dance of dragons (in S6, supposedly). Tyrion may stumble across that reveal, or may not (does it matter?), as he continues his “heart of darkness” journey toward Slaver’s Bay in S5 (and eventually joined by Penny & Jorah).

Sean C.: I don’t see how you could conceivably not have him in season 5.Tyrion does practically nothing before meeting him.

While I do think he’ll probably be cast for Season 5 as well, I figure that Tyrion will meet Jorah far earlier – I doubt that they’ll have Iain Glen sit out half the season. Both character and actor are too popular for that, and I suspect also too expensive.

Hey bud, are you being sarcastic? HBO has whitewashed the whole series, (and I’m not bitching about it), but IMO Sansa has largely been clear of that. I’m curious why you think that, if you’re not indeed joking.The manipulative thing is strange to me (maybe she’s referring to Dontos?), but I definitely don’t see her manipulating somebody like LF (yet). And I don’t see her killing Lysa. To be a player doesn’t necessitate cold blooded killing. I think ultimately she will outfox those around her, and play from a smarter perspective… (she has been around very manipulative people, but she has always been in a position of helplessness. She is learning, but she will remember where she came from) I think one more season of being simultaneously drawn to/trusting of LF; and also wary of his intentions, before she turns the corner.

Oh, and I would bend the knee to book Sansa, or show Sansa… if and when she pulls her head out of her ass

Sean C.: The guy at Westeros.org already backed away from the idea of it being that controversial, saying that “some” “might” find it controversial.The people expecting her to murder Robin or whatever always overlook that.

He said that in the first place (“may be controversial in certain corners of the fandom”) but Vulture misquoted him and made a big fuss about a “Sansa chapter that’s sure to be controversial”. He’s also said that it may not even have anything directly to do with her or what she does.

It’s funny that this interview by Sophie is now getting the same treatment. What she says seems a pretty good description of what Sansa is already like at this point, or at least by the time of AFFC – “subtly manipulative” can describe her icy fake-submissive, passive-aggressive, “courtesy is lady’s armor” approach. And we’ve already seen her manipulate Joffrey in season 2 when she saved Dontos. Sophie is most likely just trying to dispel the idea that Sansa is an airhead and to hint at future development of her character. It’s pretty funny that people think she’s going to be murdering people based on that.

Pau: On the contrary, they didn’t show Sansa betraying Ned like she did on the books.

I always believed Sansa is a really bad person, someone that doesn’t defend her little sister has to be. I’m sure we’ll see more of that side, her true side, in the books to come

Dude, she did some really stupid stuff, because she trusted the wrong people when she was eleven, that doesn’t make her evil, just naive. As for her and Arya, they were always in each other’s hair at the time, and I doubt either of them really got that the consequences would be much more severe here than usually. And most girls would have been pissed if their annoying younger sister’s pet had attacked their crush. Sansa is a subversion of the very cliché you’re talking about, not an embodiment of it.

This bullshit again? It’s just plain wrong, not being nice to your favorite doesn’t make her evil. It was just a childish rivalry, that only caused shit because of Cersei overreacting. She showed plenty of times that she’s pretty nice, and even cares about Arya.

This bullshit again? It’s just plain wrong, not being nice to your favorite doesn’t make her evil. It was just a childish rivalry, that only caused shit because of Cersei overreacting. She showed plenty of times that she’s pretty nice, and even cares about Arya.

Uh? It’s not bullshit, it’s my opinion, and it’s as plain wrong or right as yours. My favourite? Do you even know who my favourite is?

For me it’s not childish rivalry, I have a brother 1 year younger and we fought all the time, but I would NEVER betray him in fron of strangers. As the older brother it was my duty to defend and protect him, always. We’ll see how Sansa evolves in the future but I predict a dissapointment for many.

Satin: Dude, she did some really stupid stuff, because she trusted the wrong people when she was eleven, that doesn’t make her evil, just naive. .

She was 13 not 11. She’s not evil…yet. Just a huge douchebag who betrayed her father, her little sister and that is surrounded by psychos. That normally doesn’t turn out good, and in a ASOIAF it’s a recipe for disaster.

Pau: Uh? It’s not bullshit, it’s my opinion, and it’s as plain wrong or right as yours. My favourite? Do you even know who my favourite is?

For me it’s not childish rivalry, I have a brother 1 year younger and we fought all the time, but I would NEVER betray him in fron of strangers. As the older brother it was my duty to defend and protect him, always. We’ll see how Sansa evolves in the future but I predict a dissapointment for many.

She was 13 not 11.She’s not evil…yet. Just a huge douchebag who betrayed her father, her little sister and that is surrounded by psychos. That normally doesn’t turn out good, and in a ASOIAF it’s a recipe for disaster.

In the books, she was 11. If you are talking the show, she didn’t betray Ned. Pick one or the other.

We’ll have to agree to disagree on this, man. This conversation is probably as old as the books themselves. We’ll see how it all turns out – hopefully.

You’re just ignoring a whole bunch of other stuff that happened. She’s shown herself to be pretty good on multiple occassions, saving Dontos, all her interactions with the Hound, not taking pleasure in Joffrey’s death, because what’s the point if her family’s also gone, and in the Littlefinger “apprenticeship” she doesn’t seem completely sold on his methods, and these are all after that, so to me it doesn’t seem she’s getting darker.

Satin: In the books, she was 11. If you are talking the show, she didn’t betray Ned. Pick one or the other.

We’ll have to agree to disagree on this, man. This conversation is probably as old as the books themselves. We’ll see how it all turns out – hopefully.

I could argue then that we all know 11 years in the world of ASOIAF is not the same as 11y in our society and that 13 would be a fairer comparison…anyway as you say we’ll see how this turns out for sure, I’m optimistic on that ;)

Yessss! I was trying to think what role we could get him in if we got Stevenson/Purefoy for Victarion/Euron. He’d be good as Connington. Rome reunion complete!
Now just need to think of someone to play the Damphair…

Pau Soriano: I could argue then that we all know 11 years in the world of ASOIAF is not the same as 11y in our society and that 13 would be a fairer comparison…anyway as you say we’ll see how this turns out for sure, I’m optimistic on that ;)

Socially maybe, but psyhologically and physically, people did not develop faster than they do today.

Anyway, she didn’t “betray” Ned, that’s rubbish. You talk as if she had any idea that there was a political conflict between Ned and Cersei. She didn’t, because nobody ever told her. All Ned told her was that she was to go home and not marry Joffrey. Being disobedient to your parents is not the same as “betraying” them, or else every kid has has betrayed their parents dozens and dozens of times.